title: 1,3-β-glucan affects the balance of Th1/Th2 cytokines by promoting secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines in vitro.
abstract: 1,3-β-glucan is considered a fungal biomarker and exposure to this agent induces lung inflammation. Previous studies have shown that 1,3-β-glucan affects Th1 and Th2 immune responses. Interleukin (IL)-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, as typical anti-inflammatory cytokines, suppress the Th1 immune response. To investigate the effects of 1,3-β-glucan on the secretion of cytokines in co-cultured mouse macrophages and lymphocytes in vitro, mice were exposed to 1,3-β-glucan or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) by intratracheal instillation. Following extraction and co-culture of macrophages and lymphocytes, which were treated with or without 1,3-β-glucan in vitro, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the levels of cytokines and real-time reverse transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to investigate the mRNA expression of forkhead box p3 (Foxp3) in the cells. We showed that 1,3-β-glucan exposure in vitro decreased the secretion of Th1 cytokines and increased the secretion of Th2 cytokines in the culture media. Furthermore, 1,3-β-glucan exposure in vitro increased the secretion of IL-10 and TGF-β in the culture media. According to these results, 1,3-β-glucan exposure in vitro is suggested to promote the secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines, which may lead to a decrease in the levels of Th1 cytokines and an increase in the levels of Th2 cytokines. 1,3-β-glucan is suggested to induce regulatory lymphocytes, which partly contributes to an increased secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines in co-cultured mouse macrophages and lymphocytes in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pneumoconiosis, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110001, P.R. China. chenying@mail.cmu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Fangwei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Laiyu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Cuiying
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D047071:beta-Glucans / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C498833:Foxp3 protein, mouse; D047071:beta-Glucans; C033363:beta-1,3-glucan